Known to her family and friends as “June”, Sirikan, 30, will be the first woman to receive the L4L award.

She will accept the Award at L4L’s seminar ‘The Voice of Rights’ about lawyers and freedom of expression, hosted by Allen & Overy in Amsterdam on May 19.

“Sirikan is a young Thai lawyer who stands up for human rights activists, journalists and people tried after the coup by military courts, even though she is facing considerable risks herself,” the release said.

“By giving this award to Sirikan, the jury wants to applaud her unwavering courage and commitment, and draw attention to the human rights situation in Thailand, which is relatively unknown in the West.”

Sirikan is a co-founder of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a lawyers’ collective founded shortly after the military coup in May 2014 to provide legal aid and monitor the human rights situation in Thailand.

As a human rights lawyer with TLHR, she provides legal services in high-profile human rights cases on a pro bono basis. She acts for the increasing number of individuals facing lèse-majesté charges.

She also represents human rights activists facing arbitrary arrest for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and expression and journalists facing arbitrary arrest in the exercise of media freedom and freedom of information by documenting the work of human rights activists.

In 2015, Sirikan started representing students from the New Democracy Movement (NDM) involved in peaceful protests on June 25, 2015, calling for democracy and an end to military rule.

Since then, she has subject to continual intimidation by the Thai authorities. Within one year, she has been charged with four criminal offences in connection with her professional activities. If found guilty she could face up to at least 10 years in jail.

A further case was initiated by police against her, under charges of reporting false information – for having filed a complaint of malfeasance in office against police. If convicted, she could face up to a five years in prison.

The L4L award was created in 2011 by the Dutch Civil Society Organisation. L4L is an independent and non-political Dutch foundation seeking to promote proper functioning of the rule of law by pursuing freedom and independence in the legal profession.

L4L hands out the award every two years, recognising that ensuing attention and publicity will offer the recipient additional protection in the discharge of his or her professional duties.

The prize is a special token, and a donation of 10,000 euros.